# LCMS Convention Proceedings_St. Louis Missouri_1950_S450
# Machine transcription, uncorrected — CHI Digital Archive (demonstration)

450 MISSIONS

(Memorial 407)

The Free Evangelical Lutheran Church of Finland is
lished for more than 25 years. Its members live disperse

Even at such localities where there are several members
number is quite limited. None of them are wealthy.
reasons we have received continuous support from the.
Synod for carrying on our activities.

, Everyone of you will undoubtedly perceive the signi
of the fact that during the entire existence of our Church
single congregation has been able to assemble in a church
of its own. Meetings have hitherto been held, to a lesser ¢
in rented assembly halls — for the most part they have bee
at the homes of the members of our Church. Since the vy
has been all the more difficult to rent assembly halls f
meetings. ,

Thus it became extremely indispensable to have a-
building of activity at least. at one locality where the local:
gregation could assemble and where our Church would
permanent center for its activities.

Such a central building has now been erected in Laht ;
locality. of the largest congregation of our Church. It cot
of a parsonage and a two-story building with a church hall upst
and five rooms downstairs for various other functions. “

When completed, this building, including furnishing, will
about $44,300 in all, with the dollar calculated to 231 Finnish mat
which is the present official rate of exchange. The erectio
the building has just been completed. It still lacks furnish!
painting, and furniture. ;

For this building enterprise we have been succesati
accumulating $21,300, and from a bank we have got a $19,500.
We are paying an interest of 7% per cent for the loan. The“
pletion of the building will still require $3,500. =.

How is it that we have been able to accumulate the
large sum of $21,000? For the erection of the building we hi
received a single dollar from America. With the permission
Government we have, however, been able to exchange the:
received by us for paying.the salaries of our pastors, ete;
which otherwise would not have sufficed even for this put
into Finnish marks at a special profit by making use of ‘spe